Hm? There's One More?

Kakashi looked a little helpless. "All right, next. The black-haired one."

Sasuke said coldly, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like anything in particular. There are lots of things I hate. I don't have a dream, because that would just be a fantasy."

"I have an ambition: to revive the Uchiha Clan and kill a certain man."

As he spoke, his eyes brimmed with deep-seated hatred. The rooftop atmosphere instantly grew oppressive.

Kakashi turned his gaze to the last person. "And you? Ling Xuan."

Ling Xuan spoke calmly. "My name is Ling Xuan. I like quietly analyzing things and hate being interrupted. My dream for the future is to understand all the rules and truths that govern how this world works. My hobby is collecting and analyzing intelligence."

His introduction was so calm it was almost cold, making Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke feel a little uncomfortable.

The eye Kakashi had left uncovered narrowed with interest. "Oh? Understanding all the rules and truths? That's quite an extraordinary dream."

"Good. Introductions are over. Meet at Training Ground 7 at five tomorrow morning for a survival exercise."

"An exercise?"

"That's right. It'll determine whether you can truly become Genin. The pass rate is under thirty percent." Kakashi wore a mischievous grin.

"Oh, and one piece of advice: you'd better not eat breakfast tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you might throw up."

Leaving them with those unsettling words, Kakashi vanished from the spot with a poof.

Training Ground 7.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno had arrived early. Naruto was brimming with energy, whether from excitement or because he'd ignored the warning and eaten breakfast.

Sasuke was as cold as ever, his sharp eyes sweeping over their surroundings, while Sakura nervously stayed close to him.

Ling Xuan arrived last, looking calm, as if he'd just come out for a stroll.

The night before, he had used Shadow Clones to run through several possible tactical scenarios and optimize his own energy reserves.

A small breakfast rich in protein and easily digestible carbohydrates was enough to sustain him through intense thought and action.

"Yo, you're all here. Except me." A lazy voice suddenly came from above them.

Hatake Kakashi was lounging upside down on a thick tree branch, engrossed in a book with an orange cover: Icha Icha Paradise.

"You're way too late, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto immediately pointed at him and shouted.

Kakashi appeared before them with a Body Flicker Technique, closed his book, and yawned.

"Let's see... I ran into a black cat crossing the road, so I had to take a bit of a detour." His visible eye showed no sincerity whatsoever.

Taking a small alarm clock from his ninja pouch, Kakashi placed it on a nearby stone monument, then pulled out three gleaming silver bells and tied them to his waist.

"All right, the rules are simple." Kakashi pointed at the bells. "The exercise ends at noon. Your goal is to take these three bells from me. Anyone who gets a bell passes and gets to eat the delicious bento I prepared."

"As for those who don't get one..." He grinned and pointed at a few wooden posts nearby. "You'll be tied up there and have to watch me eat. And most importantly, if none of you manage to get a bell before time runs out..."

"Every one of you will be sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the year! Remember, you have to attack with the resolve to kill me. Otherwise, you have absolutely no chance of succeeding."

The terrifying pass rate, the harsh conditions, and the instruction to attack with the resolve to kill him made Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura look solemn.

Only Ling Xuan remained composed.

"Then, let the exercise begin!"

The moment Kakashi finished speaking, Naruto shot forward like an arrow, shouting, "I'll be the first to grab a bell and become Hokage!" He charged straight at Kakashi.

Kakashi didn't even change his stance. He simply leaned to one side and easily dodged Naruto's wild punch.

Then he reached out and, in the blink of an eye, appeared behind Naruto, forming a strange tiger hand seal.

"Konoha's Secret Taijutsu Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!!!"

Pfft!

"Ahhh!!!" Naruto let out a scream that shook the heavens and flew away like a kite with its string cut, landing headfirst in a nearby stream with a splash.

Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly. Kakashi's speed and skill had far exceeded his expectations.

But Uchiha pride wouldn't let him back down. He quickly formed Hand Seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A huge fireball roared toward Kakashi.

Kakashi remained unruffled. He flashed away, somehow moving beyond the fireball's range before it could reach him. A kunai appeared in his hand, and he casually parried Sasuke's follow-up Taijutsu attacks.

"Not bad, Fire Style, Uchiha brat. But you're still too green."

Kakashi dodged with ease, occasionally countering, leaving Sasuke struggling to keep up.

[Target: Hatake Kakashi. Current combat mode: primarily toying with the opponents, with assessment as a secondary objective. Taijutsu: displaying only C-rank skill, but speed and reflexes far exceed that level.]

[Chakra control: incredibly precise. No high-level ninjutsu used. Sharingan: not activated.]

The moment Kakashi announced the start, Ling Xuan had already melted into the shadows among the trees, watching the battle like a ghost.

The Eye of Truth was working at high speed, recording Kakashi's every movement and breath, even the fleeting emotions in his eye.

Sakura was completely stunned by the battle before her. She could only stand helplessly in place, watching Sasuke get suppressed by Kakashi and calling out over and over.

"Sasuke-kun, look out! Sasuke-kun, you can do it!"

Suddenly, the scene around her warped. The Sasuke who had been fighting so fiercely was now lying on the ground, covered in blood, with several kunai embedded in his chest. He looked as if he were beyond saving!

"Sasuke-kun!!!" Sakura let out a piercing scream. Her vision went black, and she fainted.

Kakashi appeared beside her and shook his head helplessly.

"Sigh. Her resistance to genjutsu is so poor. Honestly." He had used only the most basic genjutsu, yet it had been enough to take one of them out.

Nearby, Naruto climbed out of the stream, drenched from head to toe. Seeing this, he grew even angrier and charged back in without a second thought.

Sasuke also took the chance to regain his footing, his gaze even colder. He had clearly realized the enormous gap in strength between himself and a Jonin.

Kakashi easily handled their combined attacks, quietly assessing them as he did.

"Naruto has an incredible amount of chakra, but he's too reckless. Sasuke has talent, but he's too arrogant and doesn't know how to work with others. As for Sakura, she still needs a lot of training."

"Hmm? Where's the other one?" Kakashi's gaze swept discreetly over the surroundings.